Transformers: Robots In Disguise
Season 2

Autobot Headquarters was unusually quiet. After Skid-z's race with Doom-Buggy, all of Unicron's
forces remained in hiding, surfacing every once-in-a-while. During that time, the Autobots got
to know Koji's new friends, Karen and Wayne.

Wayne was a tackler on the High School Football Team. He wasn't the brightest student in class,
but he got by with reasonable marks (low 80's.) He first met Koji in study hall, where they
struck up a conversation about one of their uptight teachers. Unfortunately, the teacher found
out and gave both of them detention. They talked in detention too and that was the beginning.

Karen was the daughter of Matthew Howard, who was the head of developmental technologies at the
Shonjitsu Company, Japan's foremost developer of Web Service and Digital Communication services.
She lived a few doors down from Koji. She already knew Wayne but didn't meet Koji until she
had to save him from almost being runed down by a convertible (that looked suspiciously like Hot
Rod even though he was 3000 miles away at the time). The two started talking and Koji invited
her to walk to school with him and teach him all about it and the student body.

At the moment, the three were doing their homework on the floor of the control room, being
careful not to get in the way of Optimus Prime and Tai as they did their duties. They were
probably on their second hour of studies before Tai came in.

"Hey guys," she called. "I have something for you."

"What is it?" Koji asked. Karen handed each of them an ear piece.

"These communication devices are the same type that I use to communicate with the Autobots." To
visualize, she pushed back her dark brown hair to reveal an ear piece similar to theirs on her
right ear. "You can use them to communicate with me and to each other."

"Wow, thanks, Tai," Karen said slipping hers in a pocket located on the inside of her vest.
"But what brought this on?"

"You three have been very big help to us."

"Us? How?" Wayne asked.

"Wayne, you were a help in getting Autobot Headquarters back up and running after Database's
on-line attack. Karen, if you didn't lead the Autobots to the Shonjitsu building, we wouldn't
have been able to stop Database. And Koji, I don't think I need to explain why you deserve
yours."

"I think I understand you, Tai."

Tai's expression grew glum. "Remember, use them sparingly. We can't risk having Unicron tap
into our communications." The three humans nodded.

Optimus Prime leaned against the wall as he watched the humans talk with Tai. He couldn't help
but feen envious of them. They looked so care-free. They didn't carry the safety of the whole
planet on their shoulders. Their biggest concern was passing final exams, not monitoring a huge
metallic planetoid that was orbiting their very heads. Prime wished he was as confident about
stopping Unicron as he was emitting towards everyone else.

Suddenly the alarm sounded. But it was a different sound than what the Autobots have been
hearing for the past few weeks. But it was a familiar sound. Tai checked the readouts.

"I don't believe it, a Predacon signature!"

"What?" Optimus and Koji voiced as one. Everybody came up around Tai.

"You're right, Tai," Optimus confirmed. "It is a Pred signature. After all these years."

"But I thought all Predacons were sent back to Cybertron on Fortress Maximus," Koji said.

"The Decepticons were. So was Galvatron and the three Predacons Slapper, Gas-Skunk and Dark-
Scream. But one escaped our eye."

"Sky-Byte!"

"Who's Sky-Byte?" Wayne asked.

"Sky-Byte is... was Galvatron's second-in-command. He did anything to make his leader happy.
And was extremely jealous when Megatron started paying more attention to Scourge and the
Decepticons than his Predacons."

"So why wasn't Sky-Byte with the other Predacons when they were taken away?" Karen asked.

"It's like I said before," Optimus answered. "Somehow he escaped our eye."

"Sky-Byte really wasn't such a bad robot," Koji said. "He did help the Build Team save me when
the Space Needle almost fell. He also brought my Dad back to me."

Optimus was deep in thought for a moment. "Unlike us, Predacons thrive in military conflict.
They know everything about every war Cybertron's been in in the past. It is possible he might
know something about Unicron!"

"That's a very big shot in a very dark room, Optimus," Wayne said.

"Yes it is, Wayne, but it might be able to give us an edge over Unicron. Tai, contact Hyper
Flight and Shuttle. Have them report to headquarters on the double."

"Right, Optimus." Tai's microphone came down to her mouth. "Hyper Flight, Shuttle, battle
protocol! Come in!"

"Hyper Flight here." The leader of the Hyper Force came on the screen.

"Hyper Flight," Optimus Prime addressed. "We need you to go retrieve somebody. A Predacon
named Sky-Byte."

"You mean a Predacon is still here?" Hyper Flight gasped.

"Sky-Byte isn't part of the Predacons any more," Koji said. "He's a lone shark... uh... no pun
intended."

"We think he might have some information on Unicron," Optimus said. "I want you and Shuttle to
retrieve him and bring him to the base."

"We'll do the best we can, Optimus."

"Optimus, let me go with them," Koji pleaded.

"I don't know, Koji, Sky-Byte may not have Galvatron's backing, but he still is dangerous."

"But Sky-Byte won't hesitate to fire on Hyper Flight and Shuttle. I might be able to convince
him to come with us. He trusts me, he'll listen to me."

"Well... it is Sky-Byte, so there can't be any serious danger to you. All right, I'll let you go
providing you be careful."

"You bet, Optimus."

Optimus turned back to Hyper Flight. "Hyper Flight, can you stop by here and pick up Koji?"

"Of course."

"Optimus, this is Shuttle. Send me Sky-Byte's last known coordinates. I'll track him down and
Hyper Flight can meet me when he's able."

"That's fine," Optimus approved. "Tai..."

"Computing last known coordinates," Tai said. "Coordinates found. Sector Matthew 45."

"It's about twenty miles south of the Marianna Trench," Karen said looking at a map graphic that
appeared on a side screen.

"Coordinates received," Shuttle said. "Over and out."

"Over and out," Hyper Flight repeated.



The Hyper Force was currently based on the coastline of French Guyana. Hot Rod was relaxing
on the beach while the others stood in a circle. When Hot Rod realized something was up, he
rejoined them.

"Shuttle and I are going on a little retrieving mission," Hyper Flight explained. "Until we
get back, Heavy Duty, you're in charge." Heavy Duty saluted.

"Aww, Hyper Flight, I wanted to be in charge," Hot Rod whined.

"Sorry, Hot Rod, but Heavy Duty has more experience at leading than you. I expect you all to
follow his orders. Oh, and Heavy Duty, try not to severely overtrain them while we're gone like
last time."

"Shuttle, transform!"

"Hyper Flight, transform!" The two Hyper Force members took to the sky.

Heavy Duty turned back to Hot Rod, Firestar, and Siren. "All right, mag-bots, listen up. We
are going to patrol and we're going to do it hard. Siren, you shall take the north quadrants.
Firestar, you're going for the western quadrants. Hot Rod, you will take the west quadrants, I
shall patrol the southern quadrants. If you have any questions, tough. Now, move out!"

Hot Rod moaned. "I'm missing them already.



A shark fin jetted through the oceans of the Atlantic. What was unusual about this shark was
that it was humming a wordless tune. Suddenly the shark surfaced and hovered in the air. It
obviously wasn't an ordinary shark. Perhaps it was the missile launchers inside its mouth or
the half-mechanical fin.

"Sky-Byte, terrorize!" Immediately the shark converted into a strange hybrid of organic and
machine components. His right arm, which was his tail in beast mode, was a four-pronged anchor.
A redish crystal was on his chest.

"Ah, nothing like a sun set to inspire a new haiku. The beautiful sun, setting in the horizon,
Yes, my life is good."

Sky-Byte's internal sensor alert went off. Something was approaching from the east. Sky-Byte
used his long-range vision to zoom in on the approaching space shuttle.

{Hoovor? No, it can't be. But who is it?}

Sky-Byte's question was answered as the shuttle came to a stop near him. "Shuttle, transform!"

Sky-Byte gasped upon hearing that phrase. "You're an Autobot!"

"That's right, I'm an Autobot. And if I'm not mistaken, you're Sky-Byte."

"Depends, who wants to know."

"I'll take that as a yes. Sky-Byte, I'd like you to come with me."

"Like slag I will. I didn't spend four years hiding from you clowns just to be taken in again!"
Sky-Byte flew off. Shuttle trnasformed and took off after him.

"Sky-Byte, wait, I need something from you."

"You'll never get anything from me, Auto-scum! Shark Spike!" Sky-Byte's tail arm extended at
Shuttle. He simply dodged it.

"Now wait just a minute..." Shuttle began.

"No! I promised myself I would forget this machine war and go on to better things. I even
sealed it with a haiku. No more Autobots, no Decepticons or Scourge, just peace and quiet. So
stay away from me!"

"But you don't understand, this is important."

"I said get away! Tsunami Blaster!" Sky-Byte fired a burst of energy from the crystal on his
chest.

"Well if that's how you're going to be. Shuttle, transform! Strata Blaster!" Shuttle fired a
burst of energy from his own body which met Sky-Byte's attack."

"I'll never be a slave to you Autobot scum! Beast mode! Shark Missiles!" Two torpedos fired
at Shuttle. Sky-Byte quickly turned around and flew off.

Shuttle growled furiously. "Well Prime never said this would be easy. Shuttle, transform!"
Transforming into vehicle mode, Shuttle took off after him.

{What will it take to get rid of him?} Sky-Byte asked himself.

"Sky-Byte!" Sky-Byte screached to a halt. Ahead of him was Koji in Hyper Flight. "Sky-Byte,
wait!"

"What's that kid doing here? Isn't it a school night?"

"Sky-Byte, we just need some information on Unicron!"

Was Sky-Byte's audio receptors malfunctioning? Did Koji just say he wanted information on
Unicron?

"Did you say Unicron?" Sky-Byte asked.

"Yeah," Koji yelled back. "Why, do you know him?"

{Boy, do I,} Sky-Byte thought. He remembered reading on the great villains of the past, to
study to become Megatron's right-hand bot. One of the subjects he studied was Unicron. He
wondered why the Autobots didn't know. Then the answer came to him. The Autobots, despite
being courageous, were pacifists. They prefer to deny any sort of armed conflict including
dictators such as Unicron.

"Why would you want to know about Unicron?" Sky-Byte questioned.

"He's here, Sky-Byte," Hyper Flight voiced. "His planet is in orbit right now."

"Unicron? Here? This is not good."

"We need any information you have on him," Shuttle said coming up behind him.

"Very well, I shall give you the information you need."



Later, all the Autobots as well as Koji, Karen, Wayne, and Sky-Byte gathered in the Betaroom.
As usual, their attention was focused on Optimus. Sky-Byte noticed that most of the other
Autobots were giving him evil looks. He didn't mind. It was to be expected, they still
considered him a Predacon.

"According to the information," Optimus began. "Unicron's planet holds most of his powers. He
has the ability to swallow a planet whole. Once he does, he transforms it into energy which he
uses for himself."

"But if Unicron as powerful as you say he is, Optimus, why does he appoint lackeys such as
Doom-Buggy or Database to do his work, why doesn't he just destroy Earth right now?" Prowl
asked.

"It's theorized that Unicron used a vast majority of his power in getting here. He barely has
enough power to use his own defenses. That's why he didn't use all his weapons against Ultra
Magnus when he confronted Unicron's planet."

"Okay, so we know that Unicron is basically too weak to use his full power," Ultra Magnus said.
"How do we get onto his planet to stop him."

"You Autobots are such fools," Sky-Byte insulted. He was leaning against a side wall.
"I'm surprised you managed to win so many battles."

"Why you..." It took both Ironhide and Mirage to keep Hot Rod from attacking Sky-Byte.

"Unicron isn't inside the planet," Sky-Byte continued. "Unicron IS the planet." The entire
room went silent. Sky-Byte apparently dropped a Galvatron-size destructo-bomb in revealing that.

Ultra Magnus went up to Sky-Byte and gripped his neck. "Are you telling me that I just didn't
go up against Unicron's forces, I went up against Unicron himself?"

"Well if you were shot at by a big metallic planet, than yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.
You think we're the only ones that can transform around here? No. That planet is Unicron's
alternate form."

"And he must have to remain in that mode until he gets enough power to transform," Optimus Prime
concluded. "This changes our entire strategy. We must take care of Unicron's forces. Once
they're out of the way, then Unicron won't have a foothold on Earth, and he'll be defenseless
enough to launch an all-out assault on him."

"You'd be wise not to underestimate Unicron," Sky-Byte advised. "Just because he can't
transform doesn't mean he's a weakling. After all, his forces are given incredible powers."

"That would explain how they can super power themselves," Sideburn said. "Unicron is supplying
them with some sort of incredible power."

"Well go to the head of the class, Blue Bot," Sky-Byte said sarcastically. "Some of Unicron's
powers would make even Galvatron shiver. I believe that this is one fight you might not win."

"I hope not, Sky-Byte," Optimus said. "Because if we don't stop him, then Earth and everything
and everyone on it is doomed."

"In short," Sky-Byte commented. "You have a long battle ahead of you."


Ultra Magnus: After a battle with Starscream goes bad, Heavy Duty blows up at Hot Rod and says
that the team would be much better without him. Hot Rod leaves the group and runs into
Starscream. Starscream offers to join forces with him against both the Autobots and Unicron.
The next episode of Transformers: Robots In Disguise: "Hyperion Pt. 1: Hot Rod's Dismissal."
So get ready to roll out.